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Always grateful but far from perfect.
Full-time wife, mother, and homemaker.
Author, Artist, Pre-School Director.
Come along with us as we spend our days on a 12-acre hobby farm making soap, bread, jam, jellies and relishes, raising sheep, spinning wool, and making candles and herbal remedies.

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weekly report

01/06/2017

In my hands, I hold a whole new year to plan, dream and set goals for. It is such fun to think that in two more months the daffodils will be blooming. In four months, I will plant the tiny seeds that will grow into vegetables to feed my family, and five months from now; I will once again smell the roses that bloom so lovely in my garden.

When I was a teenager, I never liked the winter months. To me, they signaled a let down after the highs of the holiday season. Three months of dreary, cold and dark weather and a bit of melancholy was all the first of the new year meant to me. Now, that I am wiser, I relish this peaceful season of reflection and (some) rest. The boisterous holidays and craft show that I take part in are over, and I have more time to sit and think.

Writing out goals for the new year is something I enjoy. I suppose it is the same as making resolutions, except to me, resolutions seem negative. ( I’m not quite sure where that idea came from.) If I make it a goal instead, it seems more obtainable. Do you do that too? I find that the physical act of writing out an idea or goal helps to cement it in my head, and I find that I can achieve it easier.

Thank you for coming out to the Tiny Boutique, week after week and for faithfully reading my column. Here’s wishing you the very best that 2017 has to offer.

05/04/2016

The flowers around our homestead are bursting with a profusion of color. The wild roses down by the stream are in full bloom, and when old Mother Westwind and her Merry Little Breezes pass by, the fragrance is carried all the way up to the house.

When I stand at the kitchen window and wash my dishes, I can look out and see flowers in bloom all along the thorny branches of the blackberry bush. Those tiny, white blossoms will soon turn into deep purple, sweet berries that I will make into cobblers and ice cream, come July.

When I go out to feed the chickens in the evening, I pass by a honeysuckle vine that grows around an old persimmon tree. The vine has started to bloom now and even though I am a grown woman, I must stop and pick a blossom, pull the stamen out from the bottom and taste the sweet nectar.

Honeysuckle will always remind me of my mother. I remember the first time I tasted the sweetness that the flower holds. I couldn’t have been more than two years old, and my mother was barely 21 when she showed me that mysterious treat. I remember the taste on my tongue and her gentle smile at my surprised reaction.

Mother’s day is coming up this weekend. I always made a big deal of Mother’s day for my mother, because she was so good to my brother and me. (It took getting married and leaving home to realize that.) She was raised in an extremely difficult situation, but she and my father never let that show through in our upbringing.

We lost my sweet, kind and gentle mother six years ago to pancreatic cancer, two days after her 56th birthday. For several years afterward, I was terribly sad on Mother’s day because she was gone. What a fool I was, for I am a mother and have three beautiful reasons to celebrate the day. Sometimes we get so busy mourning what we have lost that we forget to be grateful for what we have. Thankfully, I saw the light and no longer feel sad.

For many years, we took my mother to the Walker Sister’s cabin in the Smokies on Mother’s day and had a picnic. We would take along a blanket and fried chicken with all the fixings. It was a great way to spend an afternoon. I will do that with my family this Sunday. We will be bringing some homemade cookies too because after all, it’s not a picnic without something sweet.

Here is a recipe for a great traveling cookie that I make with good old fashioned lard. Yes, I said lard. Everything old is new again, and lard is in that camp. Store bought lard is okay, but if you can find someone who raises pigs and renders their fat, you will have yourself a super delicious treat! I have found the best lard at The Naked Pig in Oakboro.

Lemon Cookies

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup Naked Pig lard

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

1TBS milk

1 TBS Powdered *Real Lemon Brand Powdered Flavoring*

2 cups self-rising flour.

Cream together first five ingredients then add flour. Roll into 1 inch balls and bake at 350 for 8 minutes.

Be sure to stop by and see me at the Locust Farmer’s Market on Thursday, May 5th from 11-4. I’ll have all sorts of goods for sale. Jams, Jellies, Handcrafted Soap, Herbal Salves, Homemade Bread and I might just have some of these Lemon Cookies.

04/27/2016

As a new bride, one of my homemaking goals was to learn how to make strawberry jam. I also had a dream of winning a blue ribbon at the county fair someday, for my efforts. My first attempt at jam making was a success. I made blackberry and strawberry jams, and my new husband loved it.

I thought to myself, “If it is that good, I'll enter it in the fair!" Unfortunately, I did not study the rules for entering canned items to be judged. I cleaned out an old pickle jar, put my carefully prepared jam into it, and considered it pretty and tasty enough for judging. I was in for an education. When I took it to the entry booth, I was given a disapproving look and was told that I didn’t qualify because my item wasn’t in a proper jar with a two piece lid.

Embarrassed at my ignorance, I left the fairgrounds. I spent the next year reading the fair premium rules and everything I could get my hands on about properly preserving foods.

The following year, when the fair time rolled around, I was ready! I canned a quart each of strawberry, blackberry and blueberry jam and salsa too. I was so proud of my accomplishment, and I was ready to show those fair judges that I knew what I was doing that year! I rushed home after work on the day that the newspaper said to bring the entries to the fair office. I gathered all of my carefully made items and set off once more to the county fair. As I made my way through the exhibition hall, something didn't feel right. I noticed that many items on displays already had ribbons on them. When I asked an official, she said: “You were supposed to have your entries in yesterday.” When I showed her the newspaper ad that stated that particular day, was the day; she quickly said: “Sorry, that was a typo.” My heart sank to the floor. I missed my shot at a ribbon, this time because of a typo.

You ever notice how bad luck seems to come at you, several ways at a time? Well, as I was walking downtrodden, back out to my car. I noticed a huge black cloud in an otherwise sunny blue sky. Rain drops started pelting my head, drenching me and my box of fair entries. While the sun shone everywhere else, I was all wet.

The next year, I won a ribbon by golly. Not a blue one but red. Second place. That coveted blue ribbon wasn't mine yet- but I was determined. Fast forward a year; the first of three babies came, and we moved out of state, so I put the pursuit of blue ribbons on hold for a while.

I'm happy to say that eight years ago I finally won a blue ribbon at the Stanly County fair for my strawberry jam, and I’ve won one every year since.

What's the takeaway from this story? Persistence is key.

This week, I am going to direct you to my website for a recipe and how-to video for my blue ribbon winning, vanilla bean infused strawberry jam. It is It is delicious with the sweet strawberries and hint of vanilla.

If you just want a jar of jam and don't want to fool with making it yourelf, see me at the Locust farmers market starting May 5th, from 11-4. I'll have plenty on hand there.

04/20/2016

Old homes and long forgotten home sites have intrigued me since I was a little girl. I have my father to thank for that. When my brother and I were young, he would take us on Saturday morning adventures. While out exploring country roads or searching for a good fishing spot, more often than not, we would happen upon an old abandoned home. We'd get out and wander around the yard for a bit, peeping in the windows, imagining how it used to be when the house was full of light and laughter- before age and decay took over the place. Yes, we were probably trespassing, but we never gave it a thought. It was an interesting way to spend time on a Saturday afternoon.
My grandmother and I used to go to an old home site every spring to pick daffodils that the lady of the place must have lovingly planted there. I remember being mesmerized when my grandmother showed me how you could color the tips of the flower petals by putting a few drops of food coloring in the water.
The house on our land was built in 1915 and was home to a mother, father and ten children. Wandering around the place and finding treasure was a thrill when we first moved here. We would find beautiful old bottles- still intact. Broken pieces of pottery, arrow heads, porcelain brush handles and once I found a china doll head. We have also found metal trains and a lot of farming implements.
Our land is near the site of an old school house, and we have a wagon road that runs through our property. My guess is that children used to walk that road to school because my children have found many marbles. Can’t you just imagine a boy from long ago, carrying his marbles to school in a worn out pocket and losing them along the way?
A friend and fellow treasure hunter told me that if you find piles of dirt near old homes, you can dig into them and find all sorts of unusual treasures. Burn it or bury it, that was about all they could do with their unwanted things. We have several of those dirt piles on our land and sure enough, when we have explored them with our shovels, we have found a lot of old jars, and that's about all. If I find anything interesting-I'll, let you know.
This week, instead of a recipe, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite poems.
An Old Vermont Cellar Hole
To wander near a ruined home upon a springtime morning
informs the mind and charms the eye but gives the heart a warning.
For Oh! the sense of human change that such a scene discloses--
The roses round the fallen walls and lilacs around the roses.
The hands that built the house were strong.
The builded house was stronger.
The Flowers, a wifely afterthought but they are lasting longer.
We wonder in what grass grown yard the tenant here reposes, and she as well for whom they grew, the lilacs and the roses.
Some leaning wrecks of orchard trees declare that life was pleasant.
They lived as we are living now, concerned about the present.
However dear, another day, the dearest day deposes,
and after time binds up the wounds with lilacs and with roses.
-Daniel L. Cady
That's the news from the homestead, see you next week.

04/13/2016

The fragrance of sun-dried laundry is sweet, pure and fresh. For me, there is nothing that promotes a heavenly sleep better than slipping into a freshly-made bed with sheets pulled fresh from the line. Such a blissful sensation!

When I was a child, we had a neighbor who hung her wash out to dry on a round clothes line. The colorful towels hanging there were like flags waving in the breeze, beckoning us to come and play. My brother and I thought it was a thrill to run through her towels and twist the pole like a merry go round as we wrapped ourselves up in her freshly washed, still damp laundry. Unfortunately, the neighbor lady did not find it as thrilling as us and soon put a fence around her property to keep us away. My own children did the same thing when they were younger. There is just something so tempting to a child that makes it so they just can’t help it. Of course, I didn’t yell at my kids like the neighbor yelled at us. I laughed and watched and remembered the fun.

We don’t have a traditional clothes line like I recall from my childhood. Years ago, I purchased a Minky retractable clothes line. I bolted one end to a tree and anytime I want to hang my clothes out to dry, I just pull out the cord and attach it to another tree where I fashioned a hook. We have a Y shaped stick that I put in the middle of the line to hold it up if it needs extra support. It fits the purpose beautifully and we don’t have any poles to mow around or lines to get caught up in when not in use.

Did you know that the sun is not only good for drying clothes but it is a great stain remover and whitener? Anytime I have a cup towel from the kitchen with a wine or spaghetti stain, I will wash it and hang it in the sun to dry early in the morning. By the time evening rolls around, the stain is usually gone or at least faded away. It is a great way to whiten cloth baby diapers and white T-shirts too.

A few years ago, I began noticing that I sneezed and itched whenever I washed and wore my clothes. It must have been sensitivity to the commercial washing detergents that I was using. I did some research and found that you could make your own cleaners at a fraction of the cost and without all of the harsh chemicals and overload of fragrance. After I started using my homemade washing soap, it took care of the sneezing and itchy skin.

For homemade laundry detergent, you only need a few, easy to find items. Everything is fairly inexpensive and you will be amazed at the money you save.

Home Made Laundry Detergent

1-5-gallon bucket with a lid

1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

1 cup Twenty Mule Team Borax

1 Bar Sweet Harvest Homestead Laundry Soap-(grated)

8 cups water

Heat 8 cups of water in large pot and dissolve grated Sweet Harvest Homestead Laundry Soap. After all of the soap is dissolved, stir in washing soda and borax. Remove from heat. It will have a honey like consistency. Pour concentrate into the 5 gallon bucket. Add enough water to nearly fill the bucket. Stir well and cover with a well fitted lid (I love Gamma Seal Lids)

When you open the lid the next morning, the detergent will be thick. That’s okay. Stir it a bit. Use 1 cup of laundry soap per load of wash. (I like to turn my water on in the washing machine first and add the laundry soap to the water before I add the clothes. This gives it time to melt away and go to work getting your clothes clean.)

04/06/2016

Having good neighbors can add such richness to our lives. We don’t live in a neighborhood- we live down a country lane but that doesn’t stop us from getting to know one another and being friendly to the folks who reside near us.

Our neighbors range from horse trainers to farmers, bakery owners to herbalists, missionaries, quilters and couples who have been married over 50 years (and that’s just a few of them.)

When we first moved to our land, I made it a mission to get to know our neighbors. I prepared tins of homemade hot chocolate mix and my young children and I went door to door delivering them. That simple act introduced us to some of the most wonderful people.

They have come to our rescue by watching our children for us when I had to rush my husband to the emergency room after a painful fall. Another always checks up on us if a strange car pulls up the driveway. Even though our blood relatives are far away in Tennessee, we feel that our neighbors have become an extended part of our family

Upon moving in to our little white farmhouse on Smith Road, we met one kind neighbor who gave us tickets for a fundraising dinner hosted by his church. That church meal was our introduction to a couple of North Carolina specialties- Sundrop pound cake and red slaw. That same neighbor’s mother sent over homemade cookies and a church cookbook with a hand written note to welcome us to the community.

A few weeks later, a large van pulled up to our house and out walk a beautiful family with 8 children. The oldest girl was carrying a chocolate cake that she and her mother baked from scratch, also to welcome us.

After being treated like that, how could you help but to fall in love with this place?

From my herbalist neighbor, I have learned how to companion plant vegetables, use herbs to heal and how to properly use my serger/sewing machine.

From our neighbors who have been married for 57 years, I have learned that a union between two teenagers can, and will endure if they both stick to the commitment they made.

From my neighbor who is a quilter, I have learned how to speed up the process of cutting out quilt blocks and the value of teaching the next generation the art of sewing up a beautiful, warm cover.

They all come from different walks of life but they all have one thing in common, the love for the land, community and for this little patch of paradise we call home.

The recipe that I wanted to share with you this week was adapted from one that my friend and neighbor, Margo Plyler shared with me. I walked into her house one evening as she was cooking this and the smell was heavenly, it tasted even better. I could never get the hang of cooking cubed steak until Margo showed me how.

Directions Put your cube steaks on a plate and season both sides with salt, pepper. Coat both sides of steaks with flour. Pour enough oil into your skillet cover the cooking surface with oil, about 1/3-1/2 cup. Heat oil on medium high. When oil is nice and hot, test with a pinch of the flour for the steak plate to see if it bubbles & sizzles. If it does then add your steaks to the pan. Cook at medium high for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove steak to a clean plate. Remove Pot from burner; discard all oil except about 2 tablespoons. Return to heat, add mushrooms and onions and stir to get any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until mushroom and onions start to turn golden, make sure nothing burns. Add 2 table spoon of flour and stir. Add Chicken stock and stir well. Turn stove to low and return steaks to gravy. Let cook and get really tender in the gravy for about an hour.

03/23/2016

March is a month of gentle renewal. Mother Nature has changed her brown winter frock into a delicate green gown and is showing it off in the fields that surround our home.

The daffodils and grape hyacinths that were given to me by a friend long ago, push through the earth and unfurl their yellow and purple flower buds at the same time every year, just like clockwork.

Yesterday, as I walked through the woods, I passed an ancient peach tree planted by a farmer who lived on our land many years ago. Peachy pink colored buds were budding out along its branches giving a glimpse, in miniature, of the fruit to come.

At night, the woods come alive with the sounds of spring peepers and barred owls calling out to their potential mates. I love to hear their chosen one, replying from a distance.

With the morning sun comes the birdsong. What a lovely way to awaken with the sounds of house wrens, mocking birds and song sparrows serenading you.

The squirrels are entertaining to watch as they scurry through the leaves, digging up hidden treasures of nuts that they stored away for themselves back in the fall.

Late March is a time for us to ready the garden spot once again at the homestead. This year, we are going to try something new, straw bale gardening. We are conditioning the bales right now with nitrogen and watering them daily. Instead of dirt, the nutrient rich straw will be our growing medium. In 12 more days, they will be ready to use. I think I will start them out by planting peas, carrots & broccoli. Later in the season, we will plant tomatoes, lettuce, watermelon and cucumbers. I do love the feel and smell of digging and planting in the dirt, but I am a lazy weed puller. Most years, by the time late June rolls around, I have a beautiful crop…of weeds. Supposedly, growing in the straw will help keep weeds at bay. I hope so. I’ll keep you posted.

Working outside for hours at a time makes one a bit thirsty. You need a tasty, nourishing and energizing drink to give you pep enough to see the job through. We have been making a very old (but new to us) concoction called a shrub. Shrubs are a drink made with vinegar and originated in 17th century England. James Swafford of The Chef’s Farmer taught me how to make one and it is delicious!

This recipe is one that James developed and he generously gave me permission to share it with you:

Moon Drop Shrub

1 gallon water

¼ cup fresh juniper berry

2 Tablespoons coriander seeds

1 cup fresh turmeric, grated

1 cup fresh ginger, grated

2 cups honey

1 cup apple cider vinegar.

Fill stock pot with cold water, in a dry pan, toast juniper and coriander seeds. Once spices become aromatic, add to stock pot and bring to a rolling boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add turmeric, ginger, honey and vinegar. Simmer and clarify for 30 to 45 minutes, skimming off any impurities off the top. After 30 to 45 minutes, remove from heat and strain through cheesecloth. Bottle and cool. Yields 1 gallon shrub concentrate. To drink, mix 2 oz concentrate to 8 ounces of still or sparkling water. Makes a tasty mixed drink too!